8,541 minors raped in India last year: NCRB

The incidence of minors getting raped in the country has been on the rise since the past six years. While 5,045 such cases were reported in 2007, in 2012 the figure touched 8,541, according to data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

In 2008, the number of cases was 5,446; in 2009 it was 5,336; the next year it touched 5,484; and in 2011 it reached 7,112. There is no disputing the fact that a good number of minors getting raped may even have gone unreported to the police. During the past six years, the annual figures of this crime reported to the Delhi police always remained above 300 and in 2012 it reached 415.

Except for one year, Madhya Pradesh topped the list for this crime from 2007. As per the NCRB statistics, 1,043 minors were raped in that State in 2007; 892 in 2008; 1,071 in 2009; 1,182 in 2010; and 1,262 in 2011. In 2012, the number reached 1,632. In 2008, Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 900 cases and 1,040 minors were raped in the State in 2012.

Lakshadweep is the only administrative division in the country where no rape of minors has been reported since 2007. The highest rate of this crime in 2012 was in Mizoram — 21.66 cases for a population of 1,00,000 children. The State’s child population is 3.37 lakh. The national percentage share of the crime by Mizoram stands at 0.85.

The number of minors murdered in the country in 2012 was 1,597. In Delhi, 39 minors were murdered last year. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 449 murders, followed by Maharashtra with 201 and Bihar in the third position with 128 murders. No minors were murdered in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

In 2012, as many as 81 cases of infanticide were registered in the country. Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 17 cases, followed by Uttar Pradesh 14 and Maharashtra with 11 cases. The crime is particularly prevalent in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, according to data for the past six years.

In 2007, the number of infanticides in Uttar Pradesh was 61 and in Madhya Pradesh 21. The corresponding figures for 2008 were 60 and 22. In 2009, 12 such cases were registered in Madhya Pradesh and 9 each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In 2010, there were 31 cases in Uttar Pradesh and 20 in Madhya Pradesh. In 2011 it was 13 each in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The number of foeticide cases registered in the country last year was 210. This crime reported to the police in 2007 was 96. For the next four years, the figures were 73, 123, 11 and 132. There are allegations that a majority of these cases went unreported.

The state of India having no stringent laws is the primary reason for the augmentation of these heinous crimes. This urges and signifies the need of the hour. Our law should be revised to have more stringent punishments only can help to curb these crimes to some extent. Other countries like Saudi, Iran, Iraq are having stringent punishments including capital punishment. Why shouldn't India consider of reshaping laws to accommodate this? It is high time now. Time for change. Time for social activists and Women rights commission to have this sorted. These numbers force us to act immediately. Isn't it?